In 2015, an average American consumed 95.4 kg of beef, mutton, pork and poultry. An average resident of Switzerland ate 47.1 kg, slightly less than half the amount. The biggest difference was the amount of poultry consumed. An average American ate 47.6 kg compared to 10.5 kg in Switzerland. There was also a big difference […]
Temperatures plummet in Switzerland, but some of the coldest places are not where you’d expect
If you woke up in Switzerland on Friday morning to find temperatures of -10 C, then you are living somewhere relatively warm. Only one of the places in Meteo Centrale’s top 20 coldest sits at more than 2,000 metres above sea level. The Julierpass at 2,284 m, with a low of -20.5 C, was the highest but only the 12th […]
Forest fires in Ticino and Graubunden now under control
20 Minutes. Only one army helicopter is now covering Val Mesolcina in the canton of Graubunden, now that forest fires there have been brought under control, according to 20 Minutes. A no fly zone imposed on the region has also been lifted. At the same time the Swiss air force says it is ready to spring […]
Snow finally falls after driest December since 1864
In 2016, the Swiss plateau experienced its driest December since records began in 1864, according to Swiss Meteo. Across the area between Lake Geneva in the west and Lake Constance in the East, an average of only 2mm of precipitation was recorded. Across half of the plateau, not a single drop of moisture fell. From 1981 […]
50 percent of Swiss sleep with their pets, estimates vet
20 Minutes. Is it OK to sleep with your cat or dog? There appears to be no evidence that the practice presents any dangers to human health. According to vet Gabrielle Brunner, from Basel, the phenomenon is widespread in Switzerland. “I estimate that half of Swiss do it” she told 20 Minutes. From a sanitary perspective […]
Unseasonal high-pressure system keeping snow away from Switzerland
According to Swiss Meteo, an unseasonal high pressure system is currently passing over Switzerland. Not good news for those hoping for snow, the system is likely to affect the weather between now and 1 January 2017. The last three winters have brought strong anticyclones during Christmas. While this weather pattern is unusual compared to the […]
Swiss fact: Switzerland sends no urban waste to landfill
According to the Swiss Federal office for the environment, no Swiss urban waste ends up in landfill. Around 50% is recycled and the rest is used to produce energy. In 2013, Switzerland produced 5.7 tonnes of urban waste, around 700kgs per person. Half of this was recycled, while the other half was incinerated to produce […]
How gifts destroy billions of dollars of value
If you haven’t had a chance to go Christmas shopping don’t despair, gifts destroy value. For example, someone on a diet is unlikely to place much value on a box of chocolates. The difference between what was paid for the chocolates and what the recipient would have paid represents destroyed value. They could have been […]
Coop to launch insect meatballs and burgers
Switzerland’s federal government recently announced plans to authorise the commercialisation of insects and worms as domestic food products. The supermarket Coop has applied for authorisation under the new rules, and plans to launch a new range of insect-based products. High in protein, insects come with a low carbon footprint and resource requirement. The federal office […]
Swiss MPs want cyclists to systematically lose driving licenses for rule breaking
20 Minutes. Hans-Peter Portman, a parliamentarian from Zurich, wants cyclists who break the road rules to suffer the same penalties as drivers. Last week, he, along with 72 other members, signed a parliamentary motion to have the sanctions stiffened for errant cyclists. According to Blick, the most common transgressions are crossing white lines, running red lights, weaving […]
